Introduction
The global economy has evolved hugely since the end of the Second World War. The growth of previously failing countries has added to the complexity of the global markets and has resulted in winners and losers. The rise of Brazil, India and China through cheap labour and export orientated policy has shifted power away from the US and Eurozone, and has paved a way for developing economies to bridge the divide between the ‘global south and global north’. Most significantly, the Asian Tiger economies, consisting of; Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, have grasped what it takes to develop and have done in spectacular fashion. The following report will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of industrial policy via the infant industry. In addition, a closer inspection on South Korea and Taiwan will illuminate their success stories and the importance of the infant industries.
Main Text
• Comparative advantage
Comparative advantage refers to the unique growth opportunities that each individual country possesses. Thirlwall states, “Countries will specialize in the production of those commodities in which they have a relative cost advantage, as determined by natural or acquired resources endowments”. Exploiting these comparative advantages will decide whether a country can climb out of poverty into an industrious, powerful, world competitor. There are two types of comparative advantage; static and dynamic. Static comparative advantage
1. Country A is extremely efficient in the mining of tin. However, its climate and terrain makes it difficult to produce corn. According to the theory of comparative advantage, Country A should:
Dave gives “The Theory of Comparative Advantage” a different name and calls it “The Roundabout Way to Wealth”.(p.10) He says that this theory deals with the idea that even a nation which is relatively poor at doing everything, still do some things relatively well. “And a nation that is really good at many things should still specialize in producing some items and import the rest”.(p.10) Time is the ultimate scarce resource. Investing time in doing something means having less time in doing
Define the concept of comparative advantage. How can a country gain or lose its comparative advantage in the production of a good?
The growth rate of the U.S GDP stands at 3.23 percent from 1947 up to 2016(Cuñat & Melitz, 2012). In the international trade, the absolute advantage indicates the ability of the economy to conduct tasks appropriately. The comparative advantage identifies the economy, which produces the goods with the lowest opportunity cost.
Absolute advantage is the ability to produce more than one product efficiently and at the lowest cost. Comparative advantage is the ability to specialize in producing one product at the lowest cost. Comparative advantage affects trade the most because with specializing in producing one product the companies must trade to receive other products. Comparative advantage also considers the opportunity of cost to produce one product verse the other.
Comparative advantage in economics is when a country can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost relative to other producers. It is because of this theory that output will increase because a producers within a country specializes Countries will gain the ability to maximize their efficiency and their labor force which facilitates mass-production of products, resulting in higher profits and international trade. This is because the economies of scale reduces overall cost, by producing more units. If the two countries moved towards protectionism and attempted to become self-sufficient then the production of goods would then
China is facing difficulties both inside and outside. Since China cannot regain its advantages, the only choice is transiting away from low-end manufacturing. The days of cheap, endless labor is limited, but has not ended. China still has time to invest in research, design and development and train skilled workers to create China’s own high-tech products and brands. If China could relax the One-Child Policy and invest more on children’s education, Chinese manufacturers could have more skilled workers to innovate and produce their high-tech products. China’s manufacturing is at a
Comparative advantage states that the division of labor should operate freely, without outside interference, because some countries, people, states, etc., have special advantages over the others, that allows them to produce certain goods more
The term competitiveness defines the ability of a region to export more than its imports while including all “terms of trade” to reflect government legislation and import barriers. In other words, according to the world competitiveness report, competitiveness is “… the ability to design, produce, and market goods and services, the price and non- price characteristics of which form a more attractive package than those of competitors.” (Pg3.) Each nation has different competitiveness level, which relies on multitude factors such as; raw materials, innovative technologies, energy prices, the type of economy, legislations, and the exchange rate fluctuations. Nevertheless, the prosperity of countries depends on the nation’s competitiveness status.
Which is cost difference determines the patterns of international trade. Absolute advantage is trade benefits when each country is at least cost producer of one of the goods being traded. In the 1800s, David Ricardo developed the theory of comparative advantage to measure gains from trades. This theory is based on comparative advantage and it states each nation should specialize in production of those goods for which its relatively more efficient with a lower opportunity cost.
Child labor’s main advantage is that, compared with employing an adult, it is remarkably cheap. From this, business expenses can be lowered, just by expanding its child-based workforce. As Western consumers, it is contradicting to want to buy cheap goods, yet
The country can maximize their wealth by putting the resources in the most competitive industries. Government created comparative advantage rather than free trade because now easier moves the production processes and the machines into countries that can produce more goods (Yeager & Tuereck, 1984). However, many countries now move to new trade theory suggests the ability firms to limit the number of competitors associated with economic scale (reduction of costs with a large scale of output) (Krugman, 1992). The comparative advantage occurs when two-way trade in identical products, it will useful where economic scale is important, but it will create problem with this model. As a result, government must intervene in international trade for protection to domestic firms (Krugman, 1990)
Comparative advantage is when an individual or company is made to produce services or goods at a lower opportunity cost than other individuals or companies. Opportunity cost is what you give up when you make a certain choice. When you make a decision you are valuing one decision over another and that decision that you did not choose is your opportunity cost.
Considering that absolute advantage is determined by the comparison between the productivities of labor, it is therefore possible that one party can be disadvantaged to have no absolute advantage in anything. In such a case, it is normally realized that no trade can occur between such a party and other parties. Absolute advantage is normally contrasted with the theory of comparative advantage which means that one party has the ability to produce a particular good or service cheaply or at a lower opportunity cost. In any case, the two theories rely on the basic concept of economic advantage which refers to the ability of one group or party to realize the same output with more economy than another party.
Comparative advantage is a principle developed by David Ricardo in the early 19th century to explain the benefits of mutual trade (Carbaugh, 2008). Many underlying assumptions of comparative advantage depend on states of economic equilibrium and an absence of economy of scale. In reality, economies are dynamic and subject to innovation and interference; which has led to revised assumptions of return and competition (Krugman, 1987). These factors have created questions of free trade and governmental participation in an economy by the development of strategic trade policies. These new concepts do not replace the theory of comparative advantage; however, they further explain how trade can benefit a country's economy (Krugman, 1987).